


sugo all'arrabbiata

by cenji



Category: HOTSHOT (Band), JBJ (Band), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-04 07:41:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12766284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cenji/pseuds/cenji
Summary: Sungwoon's date is going less than well.





	sugo all'arrabbiata

**Author's Note:**

> This was for prompt #44 'Taehyun is Sungwoon's waiter and Sungwoon is just in the worst date he could ever imagine because his date is a fucking asshole. But Taehyun will save him.' I looked through reddit for stories about people's worst first/blind dates, so everything Sungwoon's date comes out with is a version of something I read there. 
> 
> That said!! -->I need to TW for implied paedophilia <\--   
> There's nothing graphic in here and it's not implied that his date has ever actually violated someone underage.

Sungwoon would like to think he's an optimistic guy. He believes in looking for the positives in any given situation. Sungwoon's having to search rather hard tonight. 

There's the restaurant, that's decent. It's more of a bar that also happens to serve good pasta and have well-dressed servers. It's dimly lit, with white washed walls. There are dried flowers and drift wood randomly hung up everywhere. The candle on their wooden table is jammed in an empty wine bottle caked in multicoloured layers of wax from candles past. Also, from where Sungwoon's sitting it's hidden behind a pillar, but there's a minuscule stage where a girl with a banjo is singing country songs in this strange, raspy voice. Alright, so by 'decent' Sungwoon meant 'quite pretentious', but he still kind of likes it. And his arrabbiata is damn fine. Also, the waiter's cute. So there, the restaurant his date chose is his radiant light of positivity. 

Sungwoon takes a large bite of his pasta and works on suppressing the desire to scream into his fist. 

"But actually, lately I'm relishing in this quartet called Cúl na mBroic."

"I've..." Sungwoon swallows quickly and fixes a politely interested look on his face, "I've never heard of them. What kind of-"

"No, I didn't expect you to have," his date, Taeho, chuckles, "If you're willing to open yourself up to appreciate their brand of noise-fusion..."

Sungwoon stops listening. They chatted on messenger before meeting, but now that they're face-to-face, Taeho won't let him get a word in edgewise. He'd seemed OK when they were messaging each other. Admittedly, it had mostly been Sungwoon carrying the conversation. But his noona had said Taeho was shy. Sungwoon figured it wouldn't hurt to have one date, give the guy a chance. Now, if barely being able to speak all evening weren't bizarre and unnatural a situation enough for Sungwoon to be dealing with, it turns out Taeho'd been storing up most of his own pretentiousness as a surprise. Sungwoon thinks he just nodded to an invitation to some god awful festival down in Asan. He'll have to find a way out of that one later. There's a sliver of aubergine trapped in Taeho's goatee and it's distracting Sungwoon. He's tuned him out and is just listening to that singer rasp her way through a song that he thinks is about working on the railroad. 

"You know, I'm really so pleased we were introduced. Might I be so bold as to impart one of the things I most admire about you, Sungwoonie-yah?"

Sungwoon's not at all sure he's happy with Taeho suddenly giving him that nickname. Even so, he smiles around a mouthful of wine and waits for him to continue. 

"You're really so cute. I mean, you looked young in the photo your noona showed me, but you look even younger in person. If I squint, you could be a supple 14-year-old. That's perfect for me. You're almost perfect, Sungwoonie-yah."

Sungwoon swallows hard. Taeho's eyes are shining with ... something. Happiness? Anticipation? Sungwoon looks down at his half-empty glass and endeavours not to panic. 

"Gosh. Well, gosh... That's very-"

"You're happy. You're blushing. Don't think I can't see how much you like hearing that. You love it, don't you?"

"I'm... I'm going to-"

"Yeah, of course you do, my little Woonie-yah."

"I'm going to the gents. Excuse me."

A shudder wracks him as he all but bolts from the table. That took a turn for the creepy. He rounds a corner. There's a little corridor with one door leading to the single bathroom and another leading into the kitchen. Sungwoon leans back against the wall and takes a deep breath. 

While he's standing there, staring at his feet, contemplating what to do, a waitress comes out from the kitchen carrying a basin. She seems to have forgotten something, because a moment later she ducks back inside and, a little after that, comes out again with a colleague. 

"Hello, Sir?"

Sungwoon startles. When he peeks up, he sees the waitress is disappearing around the corner and her colleague is still lingering. And, _oh_ , it's Sungwoon's waiter. The cute one. He's even more handsome from this angle. Black apron and crisp white shirt; short, gelled up hair. He looks like he stepped out of a girls manhwa. 

__"Er, hello?"_ _

__"Is everything... to your satisfaction, Sir?" Or possibly one of those manhua that Sungwoon used to hide behind copies of Bleach when he was in high school. Sungwoon feels himself blush - for real this time. Was he here longer than he realised? Probably. He must look strange. Straightening himself up, he tries to look confident. He's usually confident. Well, somewhat anyway. Besides, the waiter looks to be about the same age as him - as well as the same (delightfully compact) height, come to notice it. So there's really no need to be all awkward._ _

__"Oh, yes. Everything's fine. I had a... er, a message to send. So I'll be heading back now. Yes. Thank you." So much for not being awkward._ _

__"Alright then, Sir." As Sungwoon's making to leave, the waiter's voice calls him back, "Sir, if there's any... any sort of problem, feel free to tell me or one of the other waiting staff."_ _

__"Right. Will do." Well, words like that aren't helping him make the blush go away. His cheeks still feel flaming hot by the time he gets back to his table. Thankfully either the low lighting is concealing it, or Taeho simply doesn't notice._ _

__"Hey, you were gone for a while," Taeho greets him convivially. Sungwoon gives him the same excuse about needing to send a message, to which his date reples, "It's fine, no worries. I was beginning to think you'd climbed out the window to escape though, just like my ex." He's laughing, so Sungwoon laughs along despite how his heart just jumped out of his chest._ _

__"You're ex climbed out the-"_ _

__"She did! I was devastated by her behaviour at first, I won't lie to you, Sungwoonie. But I've built myself back up. In any case, you're not like her. She was a whore."_ _

__He looks like he wants sympathy. Sungwoon tilts his head and makes a nondescript noise in his throat._ _

__"Precisely. It's surprising that a man such as myself would court a female of that nature, isn't it? However, I believe it's through trials and laborious struggle that a real man is formed. Don't you agree? Of course you do. When I recollect how the younger me was too much of a beta to instruct her not to wear short skirts or dye her hair..."_ _

__That urge to scream comes back hard. Sungwoon does his best to tune Taeho out again. He promised his noona he'd go on one date with her co-worker, he reminds himself. ( _Quiet but cute_ , she'd said. _Seems lonely_ , she'd said). He'll just wait a little longer to show willing, then get the heck out of there. He's decided Taeho must be the type who acts completely differently around women. He must be, because Sungwoon's noona's not usually the sort to set him up with creeps. He needs to have words with her. Serious words. _ _

__A waitress is coming near the table. As she's carrying a basin, now full with spent glasses and the like, Sungwoon thinks she must be the same one who passed him earlier. The image of the waiter floats into Sungwoon's mind. His high nose and the cute mole there, the single silver hoop in his ear... Why _did_ he say that stuff to him? In the moment, Sungwoon had been so horribly embarrassed - on top of still reeling from how Taeho 'complemented' him. He hadn't been able to think straight. But now that he is thinking about it, what could have prompted those words? _ _

__The waitress trips. She's right by their table when it happens. She topples forward, losing her basin the process. The contents - including the swill of discarded drinks and dishes - spills all over Taeho. A stunned silence descends on the restaurant, only that singer with her reedy voice sound unaffected._ _

__His waiter rushes over along with another colleague. The other waiter is tall and skinny, with unreasonably broad shoulders._ _

__"Sir, how unfortunate," he gasps, standing by Taeho and holding out a hand to help the dumbfounded man to his feet, "Allow me to take you to the staff room where you can get cleaned up." For someone who'd just been on a rant about being an alpha male, Taeho easily allows himself to be helped up and led away. His gait is stiff and slow, his sopping shirt and trousers clinging to his skin. Meanwhile, his waiter and the waitress have finished picking up the scattered glasses._ _

__"Minah, if you're OK, go get stuff to clean this mess. I'll start on the table. OK?"_ _

__"Sure, Tae." She hurries off, looking none the worse for wear. He starts mopping up the table. Sungwoon finally takes a proper look at his name-tag._ _

__"Thank you, Taehyun-sshi. Is she alright? Will her pay get docked?"_ _

__Taehyun momentarily freezes in his task. Suddenly, he lets out a short laugh and shakes his head._ _

__"Nothing broke, so it depends on your date, honestly speaking. You're kind to be concerned, Sungwoon-sshi."_ _

__"I used to wait tables at a barbecue restaurant," Sungwoon shrugs, "My date's an ass, so she's probably in trouble." Unconsciously, he juts his bottom lip out glumly. Gosh, what a night. Taehyun clears his throat and adjusts the collar of his shirt. He starts wiping again, more vigorously than before. At some point, he's rolled his shirt sleeves up to the elbow. Sungwoon gets a little bit distracted by how nice his arms look and jumps when he hears his name._ _

__"Sungwoon-sshi, I shouldn't be telling you this, but that guy's been in here three or four times in the last couple of months. We... we overhear some of the stuff that he says to his dates. And his conduct to the girls on staff isn't, er, exemplary. I'm just saying this because, really, if you have a problem, you can let me or one of the others know." He states all this with his gaze focused on the cloth in his hands. This, Sungwoon considers, is a good thing. His face is definitely peach-coloured again and merely imagining the waiter's pretty eyes on him is making that whole situation worse._ _

__"I... Thanks. Yeah, I'll, er, remember that. I think I'm going to make my excuses soon to, er, yeah," he blabbers, stumbling over his words like a schoolboy._ _

__A moment later, Minah bounces back over with her arms full of cleaning supplies. They're all done before Taeho shuffles back to their table. The look on his face is as sour as the milk liquor Sungwoon's grandma hides in her knitting box. He kicks his messenger bag in under the table where it had been sticking out, and throws himself into the chair. He's wearing his pale brown trousers, a few damp patches notwithstanding, but he's changed into a starched white shirt. Sungwoon presumes that broad-shouldered waiter lent it to him. It's a good two sizes too big and, done up to the top button, looks billowy and absurd._ _

__"Alright?" Sungwoon enquires._ _

__"Quite content," his date growls. He takes a deep breath, knocks back the last of his wine, and let's forth, "Do you know, I had a discreet word with the manager about punishing that bint. He had the audacity to claim several people had noted her tripping over my bag. He said, since nothing broke, he hoped she'd 'learn to be more careful and do allow me to send your shirt for drycleaning, Sir'. The nerve. I'm sure she's fucking him."_ _

__He pauses for breath. Sungwoon's skin crawls. He's going to kill his noona. She's never setting him up on a date ever again. Never ever ever. Taeho's huffing away to himself. Sungwoon wonders if should say something, just to calm the atmosphere. It'd be nice if they could get through this evening with no more drama, at least. Of course, trying to speak hasn't gotten him far tonight. But you never know, now could be an exception._ _

__"Listen, Taeho-sshi. I doubt that he was-"_ _

__"Lets get out of here." So, no exceptions then. "Let's just leave. I used to appreciate the ambience of this little hashery. No more. Come on. I've already settled the bill during my expostulation with the manager. Let's go. Come on."_ _

__He's gripped Sungwoon's wrist with unexpected force. Sungwoon barely has time to grab his coat before he's being dragged away. Not wanting to cause even more of a scene than they already have, Sungwoon lets himself be dragged. He casts around, desperate for someone to see and realised that that one cute guy is in distress. The singer, having just finished her set, spots him. Mistaking Sungwoon for an emotional fan, she sends him a smile and a wave as she puts her things away. Sungwoon's spirit crumples._ _

__"We'll go back to my place. That'll be nice." Taeho slows down when they're outside. He inhales a lungful of the frosty night air, smiling as it forms a cloud in front of him. He swings their arms back and forth, carefree. His hold is still strong around Sungwoon's wrist, though. "You're so cute, Sungwoonie. I'm terribly glad we encountered each other. I can't wait to get you home. I bet you'll look just like a doll when you're all done up. Gosh, I just want to tie you up and keep you. You'd look pretty as a pixie in a cage in my living room. I'm joking of course. You would though."_ _

__"Babe!"_ _

__Sungwoon falters. That shout sort of sounded familiar. Taeho, however, pays it no heed. Sungwoon stumbles as he's pulled along the pavement. He tries to jerk his hand away. Taeho yanks him closer. This night's gone from creepy to increasingly scary. Sungwoon's heart is pounding against his ribs. His eyes swim, searching for some way out. Oh god, what's he going to do? There aren't even many passers by - and, at this time of a Friday night, most of them already look unsteady on their feet. He sucks in a breath, he feels dizzy._ _

__"Sungwoon-ah! Babe, ditch that guy and get over here!"_ _

__That makes Taeho pause. They peer behind and find Taehyun bounding after them, another man just behind him. The waiter's lost the apron and is wearing a puffy black jacket zipped up over his shirt. He's also sporting a pair of glasses with thick, browline frames. He barrels into Sungwoon, throwing his arms around his shoulders in a hug. The impact makes Taeho lose his grip and Taehyun's friend conveniently gets in the way._ _

__"Sungwoon-ah, why didn't you tell me you were back? Let's go get a drink, yeah?"_ _

__Sungwoon's brain is caught in an infinite loop. The cute waiter - the cute waiter just called him 'babe' - and he's being hugged - by the cute waiter - who just called him 'babe'... He hears Taeho bawl,_ _

__"Who the Devil are you?"_ _

__Which almost makes Sungwoon laugh. It's mad. How can Taeho not recognise their waiter just because he's wearing glasses and a jacket? On the other hand, Sungwoon concedes, Taeho likely wasn't staring as much as Sungwoon. He's aware of the other man - a muscular guy with a shock of yellowish bleached hair - moving to stay between them and saying something to Taeho. However, his attention's stolen by Taehyun whispering a polite apology in his ear. He shivers and it has nothing to do with the icy November night._ _

__Taehyun keeps one arm around his shoulder as they head back to the restaurant. As soon as they step inside, he drops it, slipping off his fogged up glasses and wiping them with the hem of his coat. The waiter suggest they go back to the staff room and he can ring a taxi. Sungwoon just nods and follows him, still feeling unsteady on his feet. He catches the singer's eye on his way. She's now perched at the bar with a glass of red wine. She smiles with recognition and gives him a thumbs up. He returns it, because why not._ _

__The staff room is tiny and windowless. It has a few lockers, an ancient looking sofa and a plastic table covered with bags, hats and scarves, and about half a dozen boxes of Oreos. There's a conspicuous pink plastic bag amongst everything, which Sungwoon realises is holding Taeho's soiled shirt. Sungwoon half-collapses on the sofa, hands clutching the edge to keep himself upright. He takes a long, slow breath._ _

__"Hey, I hope I wasn't out of line." Taehyun's opened a locker, but he's hovering beside it uncertainly._ _

__"Hm? No, you're OK. You were... yeah, in-line," Sungwoon assures him - wondering at exactly what point in the evening he lost his ability to form coherent sentences. Also, if Ha Sungwoon can no longer converse fluently, is he still a Ha Sungwoon?_ _

__"OK. Alright, then. Like I told you, we've all over-heard the stuff he says to his dates. Then Hojung saw you leaving when he was coming in for his shift and I... Well, I might have panicked a little." He blurts out the last bit as he'd ducking his head into the locker, hawling out a small backpack and stuffing a few things inside. Sungwoon can't be sure he heard correctly, so all he replies is,_ _

__"Hojung?"_ _

__"My friend who - Ah, speak of the Devil."_ _

__The guy with the bad bleach job crashes in and immediately makes for one of the lockers._ _

__"Everything good?" Taehyun asks. Hojung just nods, rapidly extracting items from his locker and draping them over the door. "Did you hit him?" Taehyun adds, weary._ _

__"I'm a lover, not a fighter," Hojung declares, before pulling his sweater and T-shirt off over his head in one movement. (Sungwoon averts his eyes. Mostly. Well, in any case, he's in shock so it can't be helped if he doesn't manage to entirely look away from Hojung's ripped abs). "Sorry, but I was supposed to start work five minutes ago. Junhyuk's gonna have my balls," he rambles, putting a white shirt on, fingers dancing over the buttons._ _

__"Yeah, but did you hit him?" Taehyun insists. Hojung pauses, shirt half-open, peeking up at the other waiter sheepishly._ _

__"Little bit. Then I put him in a taxi."_ _

__"That's alright, then," Taehyun sighs. Sungwoon can't tell if he's being ironic or not. He flops down on the sofa beside Sungwoon, hugging his backpack to himself._ _

__"I thought so. Look, I've got to go. Good luck, Hyung," he says, still jamming his feet into a pair of neat black shoes as he dashes from the room. He gives them two thumbs up as he's leaving. Sungwoon doesn't see what's with all these thumbs up, but he returns it again because why the heck not. Beside him, Taehyun looks bewildered, his glasses askew and his hands buried in his sleeves._ _

__"You're off work, right? You should head home. I'll call a taxi and wait out front. I'm fine, really... Thanks for everything, Taehyun-sshi." Sungwoon awards himself a mental high-five forregaining the ability to speak without stuttering. He's kicking himself a moment later, though, because Taehyun turns to him and, gosh, his eyes really are pretty. And his jaw is handsome. And his piercing's cool. And Sungwoon can't help but wonder if he has any others. And, incidentally, what they might feel like under Sungwoon's tongue. Oh dear._ _

__"I think I should tell you something," Taehyun speaks up at last._ _

__"You're not gonna tell me I look like a 14-year-old, are you?"_ _

__"No! Jesus Christ."_ _

__"Right. Sorry."_ _

__"No, it's that," Taehyun's eyes flicker uncertainly, "I think you're my hoobae. That's why - I mean, I didn't just randomly run after you."_ _

__Sungwoon's eyes widen. As it turns out, Taehyun attended the same college as him, although in a different department. Taehyun graduated last year, while Sungwoon's in his final year._ _

__"When I was leaving the practice rooms, I'd often pass by the music rooms. There was a while when I kept hearing a beautiful voice singing that one, that 'Just Like That' song. So I looked in just, you know, to see if I knew who the singer was. Not like I was secretly watching or anything. And yeah, anyway, when I saw you tonight I was sure it was you. Although, you look sort of..." If Sungwoon were less embarrassed (not to mention flustered by the handsome sunbae calling his voice beautiful), he might have noted Taehyun's fiery red ears._ _

__"I lost weight, yeah," he croaks, "I'm glad you liked my singing. It only got me a C," he adds, laughing awkwardly._ _

__"Madness." Taehyun perks up, "I made a video krumping to that song. I'll show you some time if you like."_ _

__"But it's a ballad."_ _

__Taehyun peers at him blankly, apparently not seeing where the issue lies. Sungwoon clears his throat and looks away. He tugs his ears out of nerves then, realising what he's doing, makes himself fold his hands in his lap. Standing up to leave, he starts to blather about how he should get going, and thanks again, Sunbae, and he has the number for a taxi, so don't worry. Taehyun cuts him off._ _

__"I want a drink. Do you want a drink, Sungwoon-ah? I mean, Sungwoon-sshi," he blabbers all in a rush. Sungwoon turns back to him. Taehyun's fingers are poking out from his sleeves, worrying the straps of his backpack. He looks hunched, and Sungwoon at last notices how he's not the only one who's blushing. He thinks about how the creep's fingers dug into his arm and about how Taehyun's arms wrapped securely around his shoulders. He thinks how he has no clue how he's going to reveal to his noona what her co-worker's really like, and his knees almost buckle when the words Taeho said ooze in his brain. It's been a long night._ _

__"Yes. Yes, I do."_ _

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I like abrupt endings, lol. 
> 
> If anyone's interested, the name of the band Taeho mentions translates to 'Badger's arse'. Idk why either.


End file.
